Public Policy

Job Work

APA Releases its First Guide to Equity

The American Planning Association (APA) makes a clear statement that planners are especially suited to address matters of social equity.

June 7, 2019 - American Planning Association

Buenos Aires bus stop

Cities' Role in Climate Governance and Global Policy: A Dispatch from the Urban20

In a dispatch from the Urban 20 Mayoral Summit, Jocelyn Perry and Bill Burke-White write about cities' role in climate governance and public policy.

February 22, 2019 - Penn IUR Urban Link

Housing Construction

Affordable Housing Finance: Show Me the Money

Ben Brown continues his weekly blog series in lead-up to the day-long exploration at CNU Savannah, "Affordability: The Intersection of Everything."

May 3, 2018 - PlaceShakers

Fire Escape

10 U.S. Cities Launch Anti-Displacement Network

More than half of American tenants are rent-burdened, putting them at risk of displacement. A national collaboration with PolicyLink hopes to help.

April 22, 2018 - Curbed

Public Comment

The Truth About Creating Policy: It Can't Be Evidence-Based

Research in cognitive sciences is dictating that we can no longer rely on the presentation of scientific facts when building policy.

November 19, 2017 - Steven Snell

Achieving Community: Let's Get Real

The benefits of authentic community are extensive. Maybe even transcendent. But how do we get to that point? Scott Doyon's latest blog has a few thoughts.

December 8, 2016 - PlaceShakers

Piedmont Park Atlanta

The Makings of Healthy Places

What makes for a healthy place? Kaid Benfield points to density of dwellings, intersections and public transport, plus access to parks.

September 6, 2016 - PlaceShakers

Hurricane Sandy

Unpredictable, High Risk, High Cost: Planning for the Worst Is the Worst

Ben Brown takes a hard look at our capacities and limitations in a world more complex than we’d prefer.

August 24, 2016 - PlaceShakers

Baltimore Demolition

National Initiative to Address Structural Racism in Cities

Five U.S. cities will examine how their government operations impact people of color, and come up with solutions to advance racial equity.

July 1, 2016 - Living Cities

Bryant Park

Prioritizing Park Equity in Planning and Policy

The APA blog issues a call to action to promote park equity.

June 28, 2016 - American Planning Association

A Negative Review of 'Vision Zero'

The 'Vision Zero' movement to eliminate pedestrian deaths is fantastic. It is helping cities around the world create better, safer streets. The name and its embrace of absolutes dooms cities to failure.

November 3, 2015 - California Planning & Development Report

Manhattan Institute Presses Policy Innovations for 'The Next Urban Renaissance'

A new book from the Manhattan Institute, available for free download, argues that cities will have to full embrace experimentation and evaluation to be true laboratories of innovation.

October 15, 2015 - Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

Data Shows Inclusionary Housing Is...Inclusionary!

Advocates of inclusionary zoning have something to smile about. A new report from the Rand Corporation confirms that the housing produced by these zoning policies does in fact create or preserve affordable housing in areas of low poverty.

January 24, 2013 - Shelterforce Online

Harvard University

Does it Make a Difference if a Planning Program is in a Policy, Design, or Other Kind of School?

Students investigating options often ask if it makes a difference where the planning school is located. The short answer is it matters less to students than many think.

October 29, 2012 - Ann Forsyth

Will D.C. Stand Up for America's Cities?

In his column Urban Nation, Harry Moroz argues for deeper involvement from the federal government in urban policy in order to give American cities the fighting chance they deserve to be healthy and enjoyable places to live.

September 19, 2012 - Next American City

Polls: Are You Listening?

What should planners take away from last week's barrage of polls about Americans' attitudes?

June 19, 2012 - PlaceShakers

NIMBYs, For Better or Worse

NIMBYism served a purpose once, says Scott Doyon, preventing all sorts of heinous projects from being built. But eventually, it became about stopping ALL change. Doyon has some recommendations for changing course.

July 30, 2011 - PlaceShakers

Does America Need a National Infrastructure Bank?

A new report published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace proposes, among other things, a 5%-per-barrel tax on petro and the creation of the National Infrastructure Bank to cope with transportation budget cuts.

July 24, 2011 - America 2050

The Paradox of Minimum Parking Requirements for Bars and Taverns

Zoning codes that mandate a certain number of parking spaces for businesses that serve on-site alcoholic beverages are inconsistent with law enforcement's campaign against drunk driving, says Eric de Place.

July 22, 2011 - Sightline Daily

Most Successful Bus Rapid Transit Stalls Out

Bogota, Columbia's TransMilenio bus rapid transit system has been widely praised and imitated around the world. However, many consider the successful bus system to be suffering from its own success.

July 16, 2011 - www.TheCityFix.com

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.